Harlequins Storm into Last 16 with Dominant Win Over Stormers in Champions Cup
In a comprehensive display of rugby prowess, Harlequins secured their spot in the Investec Champions Cup last 16 with a resounding 54-10 thrashing of a much-changed Stormers side at Twickenham Stoop.
The victory, coupled with La Rochelle's earlier loss to Toulouse, sealed Quins' place in the knockout stages. The team will now host La Rochelle next Sunday in their final group stage match, while Stormers will be seeking to salvage some pride when they take on Leicester Tigers on Saturday.
Harlequins' dominance was evident from the opening whistle as Flanker Jack Kenningham powered over for the first try, followed by a clever chip-kick from scrum-half Marcus Smith that brought the ball to Luke Northmore, who subsequently sent Cadan Murley over. The dominant first quarter continued with Alex Dombrandt scoring as he cut a sharp line, while Chandler Cunningham-South secured an important bonus point.
The hosts' free-flowing attack was on full display throughout the match, with prop Zach Carr scoring after being fed by scrum-half Lucas Friday's fine work in creating space. David scored not once, but twice more, his second coming from a lucky loose pass, as Quins continued to pull away.
Stormers, who had come into the game undefeated this season, found themselves down 25-0 at halftime and never looked like recovering, with Imad Khan and Dylan Maart scoring their team's only two tries. In contrast, Harlequins' substitutes, including Evans, were instrumental in securing Quins' bonus point win.
Quins' victory is a much-needed boost to the club's season, which had been marred by recent poor form. The team will now look to carry this momentum into their knockout stages, aiming to replicate their surprise run in the 2024 tournament to the semi-finals.
Harlequins' coach Jason Gilmore's side showed glimpses of the attacking flair that earned them promotion last season, and the win has reinvigorated hopes that Quins can make a deep run in this year's Champions Cup.
In a comprehensive display of rugby prowess, Harlequins secured their spot in the Investec Champions Cup last 16 with a resounding 54-10 thrashing of a much-changed Stormers side at Twickenham Stoop.
The victory, coupled with La Rochelle's earlier loss to Toulouse, sealed Quins' place in the knockout stages. The team will now host La Rochelle next Sunday in their final group stage match, while Stormers will be seeking to salvage some pride when they take on Leicester Tigers on Saturday.
Harlequins' dominance was evident from the opening whistle as Flanker Jack Kenningham powered over for the first try, followed by a clever chip-kick from scrum-half Marcus Smith that brought the ball to Luke Northmore, who subsequently sent Cadan Murley over. The dominant first quarter continued with Alex Dombrandt scoring as he cut a sharp line, while Chandler Cunningham-South secured an important bonus point.
The hosts' free-flowing attack was on full display throughout the match, with prop Zach Carr scoring after being fed by scrum-half Lucas Friday's fine work in creating space. David scored not once, but twice more, his second coming from a lucky loose pass, as Quins continued to pull away.
Stormers, who had come into the game undefeated this season, found themselves down 25-0 at halftime and never looked like recovering, with Imad Khan and Dylan Maart scoring their team's only two tries. In contrast, Harlequins' substitutes, including Evans, were instrumental in securing Quins' bonus point win.
Quins' victory is a much-needed boost to the club's season, which had been marred by recent poor form. The team will now look to carry this momentum into their knockout stages, aiming to replicate their surprise run in the 2024 tournament to the semi-finals.
Harlequins' coach Jason Gilmore's side showed glimpses of the attacking flair that earned them promotion last season, and the win has reinvigorated hopes that Quins can make a deep run in this year's Champions Cup.
I'm loving the confidence boost for Harlequins now! They definitely played some slick rugby out there 
. Jack Kenningham was on fire with those tries 
, and Marcus Smith's chip-kick skills are insane 
. Stormers just couldn't keep up with Quins' pace 
. The squad looks super rejuvenated now too, which is awesome 
. Can't wait to see how they take on La Rochelle next weekend 
.
I mean i was super worried about their season but they really turned it around! 54-10 is insane lol those stormers got destroyed 
and our boys showed what they're made of 
jk sully and cadan were on FIRE 
️ and that flanking attack tho? 
fingers crossed we make it to the semis again 
️ let's get ready to rumble! 
I'm loving the confidence boost for Quins after this win, it's going to be awesome to see them take on La Rochelle in their next match 
quins were on fire from the start! 
jack kenningham got try no1, and then marcus smith did a sick chip kick to set luke northmore up 
cadan murley scored next, and it just kept going from there. alex dombrandt was unstoppable 
harlequins' attack was just too much for stormers to handle. i'm hyped to see how they do in the knockout stages 
. They just couldn't cope with Quins' pace and power. But you've got to give them credit - they showed some fight by scoring two tries, even if it was too little, too late. Overall, a dominating win for Harlequins, and I'm excited to see how they perform in their next match against La Rochelle 
i mean, 54-10 is a huge margin, that's like saying you won by 44 points and didn't even break a sweat 
. also, can't wait for next sunday's match against la rochelle, should be a real barnburner 
. And can we talk about Zach Carr's score? 
He just seemed to glide across the field like a pro! 
. Can't wait to see what the rest of the tournament has in store! 
That Jack Kenningham try at the start was like a wake-up call to the opposing team. And Marcus Smith's chip-kick was pure genius 
, it's amazing how he can create space with just one move.
. They've got this momentum going and they're gonna carry it into the knockout stages with confidence 
- just like how the government needs to crack down on corruption to really make a difference in our society!